What’s Fuelling the Resurgence in Football Esports?

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Esports are a growing enterprise built on the backs of several competitive games spanning genres, generations in software and global audiences. So, why has there been a resurgence in sports simulation now?

The FIFAe World Cup 2025 ft. eFootball begins its console and mobile qualifiers on the 18th of September this year, leading up to the main soccer Esports events in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this December, with an unannounced prize pool.

The FIFAe World Cup 2024 ft. eFootball had a prize pool of nearly AUD $375,000, along with a peak in streaming viewership of under 415,000 between Twitch and YouTube, making it the most popular sport simulation event of the year.

Using statistics from the previous year’s prize pool and peak viewership, as well as this year’s Esports World Cup (EWC), which saw both Rocket League and EA Esports FC break peak viewership records (accumulating around 340,000 eyes), the upcoming tournament could see a higher audience count and possibly a boost in overall revenue.

To be fair, these are rookie numbers compared to the larger esports tournaments with Tier 1 viewership (League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2), which record millions of viewers and reward every major event. FIFA, Rocket League and EA Esports FC all rank in Tier 3 but are still able to be reasonably profitable.

Only a few years ago, online discourse and the investment capital of major esports teams (known as organisations), like FaZe, crashing on the stock market fuelled claims that the sub-genre sporting enterprise had died or was dying. Now, there seems to be a boost to the sport.

I believe it is due to Saudi Arabian influence in the sport and how FIFA and EA harness major revenue streams, both active and passive.

The Influence of Saudi Arabia and FIFA/EA

Esports organisations, like all sporting clubs, generate revenue from sponsorships, merchandise, licensing, etc. Depending on the popularity of the sport and them in each region will affect how much money is spent on houses (the esports form of clubs), sponsorships/partnerships, and so on. Fan engagement and stakeholders in the sport are just as important to the Socceroos as they are to the Chiefs.

Where it differs from conventional fan engagement is the monetary barrier of entry through broadcasting.

If a particular fan cannot make it to a live match, they watch it on television. If the game is played outside of their country, it’s usually going to be broadcasted on paid television, unless free-to-air channels can secure deals which cost millions of dollars for a multi-year licence.

Esports are practically free for viewers to watch through streaming services like Kick and Twitch, whose individual channels are owned by venue organisers and esports governing bodies who gain revenue from advertising, with kickbacks to the streaming service. And since the majority of esports fans are Gen Z, they are less likely to have disposable funds to pay to watch tournaments.

Saudi Arabian stakeholders in the Saudi Esports Federation, and partnerships FIFAe (the esports branch of FIFA) and EA among others, control the streaming rights and venue of the World Cups to present Saudi Arabia as the hub of esports.

The country’s governing body also gains ticket sales from tourists and attendees, funnelling revenue into the sport and increasing prize pools each year. The kingdom has also invested over AUD57 billion into the sport, which is estimated to create over 39,000 esports-related jobs by 2030, though the Asian and United States markets are much larger in overall fanbase.

However, the sport cannot run properly without every few years a new or updated title to release alongside events. The new soccer game, EA SPORTS FC 26 is set to release soon and though it won’t be played in the tournament, EA are set to see a spike in purchases before, during and after the World Cup finishes.

Electronic Arts had a hands-off approach in the early days of esports, letting competitions use licensed titles as the developer/publisher saw a correlation between the esports events and upticks in microtransaction purchases. In recent years, they have heavily promoted FIFA players to buy ‘packs’ with playable footballers from across the game to add to your roster.

Though FIFA and EA ended their esports partnership in 2023, they still have a working relationship via licencing rights ranging from player’s likeness to simulated leagues from around the world, as well as recreations of famous football grounds and kits.

FIFAe’s and EA’s steady stream of revenue from the tournaments derive from fans buying FIFA-related merchandise and electronic player packs for team builders in FIFA-licenced videogames.

The accumulated revenue will also see itself be put into organisations who are sponsored by either group, as well as the passive use of clubs in-game essentially being free advertising for the used football club.

Overall, the Saudi Esports Federation, FIFAe and EA have created a perfect storm which may bring the sport up to Tier 2 in the next few years.

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How Australian Support for the World Cup Has Changed Since 2022

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Federation Square 2022; Image Credit: AFR

Sodden, rowdy and 7,000-strong, the crowd that gathered at Federation Square before dawn on Saturday for Australia’s clash with the United States offered a vivid illustration of how much, and how little, has changed in Australian football support since Qatar 2022.

The scenes themselves were familiar: fans queuing from 2am, flares lit during the anthem, a barrier breach as the precinct hit capacity within minutes of opening. But the fact the screening happened at all says something about the shifting institutional weight football now carries in Australia.

Just this May, the Melbourne’s Arts Precinct had decided not to screen Socceroos matches at Fed Square this tournament, citing crowd damage and arrests during a 2022 World Cup screening. Football Australia publicly pushed back, and the Victorian Government ultimately overturned the decision, with security and police presence increased to manage the risk. That a state government intervened to guarantee a public screening reflects how central these gatherings have become to football’s standing in Australia, not just as a peripheral fan event but a piece of cultural infrastructure worth a premier’s political capital.

A Tournament Inherited, Not Just Attended

The scale of public interest now sits on a different foundation than it did in 2022. Football Australia’s most recent National Participation Report recorded an 11% increase in total participation to 1,911,539 people, with women and girls’ participation rising 16% to 221,436. Industry analysis attributes much of that growth to the “Matildas effect” following the home Women’s World Cup in 2023, projecting 407,000 new junior participants by 2027 on the back of that tournament and Football Australia’s broader infrastructure strategy. Whatever happens to the Socceroos in the United States, the crowd at Fed Square this year is drawn from a participation base substantially larger than the one watching from lounge rooms and pubs in Qatar.

That shift shows up in how fans say they’ll engage with this tournament regardless of results. New industry research found 79% of intended Australian viewers plan to keep watching the World Cup even if the Socceroos are eliminated, an 11-point increase on 2022, suggesting interest is becoming less tied to the national team’s results than it once was. The same research found television remains dominant, with 88% of viewers planning to watch on TV, rising above 90 per cent for evening and weekend matches, even as audiences increasingly split their attention across streaming and second screens.

Crowd Behaviour as the Unresolved Question

What hasn’t shifted is the tension over crowd conduct at public screenings, and what it costs football’s civic standing when things go wrong. The Melbourne Arts Precinct’s chief executive was explicit in 2026 that damage and behaviour during 2022 screenings were the basis for initially declining to host watch parties this time, despite trouble-free crowds during the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Saturday’s flares and barrier breach will likely feed that same debate going into the knockout stages, even as the broader numbers tell a story of a sport with a far deeper public footing than it had four years ago. The Fed Square images from 2022 prompted other Australian cities to scramble together live sites once the Socceroos reached the knockout rounds, reflecting a pattern likely to repeat if Australia progresses from Group D, with Friday’s match against Paraguay now carrying outsized weight for a campaign that began with what fans, by their own description, considered horrible refereeing and a result short of expectations.

Build a home, create a culture: How do we secure the Socceroos as global competitors?

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Image credit: FiledIMAGE / Shutterstock.com

The Socceroos kicked off their World Cup campaign with a convincing 2-0 win over Turkey. It was an important win for their tournament ambitions, but also a statement about their quality on the world stage. It is time that we built a facility to ensure this quality is nurtured, not stifled.

Otherwise, we risk falling behind.

 

One of four…

Australia’s Men’s National Team currently sits as the 23rd-ranked team in the world in the official FIFA rankings. The Matildas, meanwhile, are the 15th highest-ranked women’s team.

This year is also the sixth consecutive FIFA Men’s World Cup featuring the Socceroos, confirming their position as a regular competitor in the most prestigious tournament in world football.

So why is it, despite these undeniably positive reflections of Australia’s growth in international football, that the Socceroos are still homeless?

At the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar, Australia was one of four competing teams (a list featuring Denmark, Poland and Senegal) without a national base. In 2024, former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold described the team as “homeless” ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.

But four years on from the tournament’s last edition, the situations remains the same. And the world is taking notice.

 

A letter to the PM

In April this year, FIFA reportedly wrote to Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, encouraging the construction of a permanent home for football in the country.

The letter reflects concerns within the governing body that Australia, despite being so present in international football throughout the past 25 years, may fall behind the rest of the pack.

When we look at the talent in the current squad, Australia is by no means an emerging football economy. But commercial and infrastructural limitations in the landscape mean this talent is under-appreciated.

Nevertheless, it is a nation which regularly proves it can compete – and win – on the biggest stage. This we saw only a few days ago.

Which is why the players, coaches and staff representing the nation deserve a permanent facility which reflects, nurtures and inspires talent and competition. The survival of the landscape depends on it.

 

The investment question

Investment into football – from grassroots to professional levels – continues to be at the crux of national debate on how to secure football’s future in Australia.

In a conversation between Soccerscene and Melbourne-based community club, Sunbury United FC, infrastructure and facility-sharing challenges emphasised common grievances for many grassroots clubs.

The issue, therefore, is spread across the nation’s football pyramid. And prompts an uncomfortable question about future investments:

If even the Socceroos continue to share their current base, Leichhardt Oval, with various teams across rugby league and soccer, how can we ever expect clubs further down the pyramid to avoid similar fates?

The past few years, however, have fortunately seen improved investment into the women’s game in Australia – particularly embodied by the ‘Home of the Matildas’.

The result of a $101.1 million investment by the Victorian Government in collaboration with La Trobe University and the Federal Government, the facility boasts elite training features including premium FIFA-standard pitches, multiple changing rooms, a high-performance gym, a sports science lab and more.

This was a welcome and vital boost ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup which took place in Australia. Now, ever-increasing participation and pride are synonymous with women’s football, and the numbers confirm it.

In 2023, women and girls represented 190,746 participants across social, outdoor, fustal and registered football. In 2025, this increased to 231,435. It proves that, with the arrival of purposeful investment at the top, comes the spread of a football culture across the nation.

 

Aligning practical and cultural benefits

But what would a potential facility for the Socceroos actually look like? And what are the benefits?

When considering similar projects, we can look to both Japan and England as distinct examples of how a national base for football can unite practical, social and cultural benefits.

St George’s Park – England

Built in 2012, England’s base at St George’s Park is a masterclass in using facilities to establish a centre for industry cohesion and community impact.

As a centre of excellence, St George’s Park holds 14 outdoor pitches, a fustal arena, and hosts coaching and medical courses. It welcomes 28 teams across men’s, women’s, youth and para football, representing a place of unity and alignment for the entire football community.

Furthermore, the ‘Play Like the Pride’ program offers grassroots participants and school students the chance to experience the elite facilities for a day, showing how facilities can serve to connect young players to the world of their professional idols and foster real passion for the game.

JFA J-Village – Japan

The J-Village – beyond being a state-of-the-art football training centre – shows why a home for football can positively impact the community.

After being used as a support base for the nuclear power plant accident following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the venue now holds a deeply important place in the memory of Fukishima. As a result, upon resuming full operations in 2019, the facility – and the football development within it – represented a sense of perseverance, reconstruction and unity.

And through hotels and public transportation links, the J-Village also welcomes tourists and business travellers, encouraging more people to step into the world of football in Japan.

One venue, therefore, can give rise to an essential part of a thriving football landscape: culture. A culture for participation, community outreach, and elite development.

 

Final thoughts

The focus of the summer will no doubt be how the Socceroos perform on the pitch. And with homes, offices, and public spaces brimming with enthusiastic support, the sense of national pride is irresistible.

But for all the positive sentiment currently taking hold of the nation, there will come a time when Australia’s World Cup run is over, at which point an all-important question must be asked:

How do we move forward?

We move forward by transforming buzz into an aligned vision, commitment to nurturing talent, and a desire to establish a real footballing culture across the nation.

The first step to building this culture? Building a home from which it can thrive.

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